Exciting things are happening in Hudson County and the surrounding area as the Super Bowl date draws closer.

The latest big news is that the NY/NJ Super Bowl Host Committee will open Super Bowl week on Jan. 27 with a music and fireworks show in Jersey City.

MetLife Stadium is only minutes outside the confines of Hudson County, and officials are making sure the area will act as the main “Huddle Zone” for traveling fans looking for entertainment and leisure in the days leading up to the big game.

The Liberty State Park event will feature the Goo Goo Dolls and Daughtry. A 13-minute fireworks display from Macy’s will feature music from Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga and halftime performer Bruno Mars.

EX-SAN FRANCISCO 49ers defensive end Chris Doleman, shown here in a 1997 game against the Vikings, will be in Weehawken for a Super Bowl event.AP PHOTO

The show opens at 7:30 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. It’s but tickets -- available at sbkickoffspectacular.com, are necessary. Parking passes are also required for cars; big bags, strollers and coolers are discouraged.

Beyond its regular restaurants and retail experience, Hudson County has put together a wide variety of celebrations, including Hudson Restaurant Super Week, when many local restaurants will offer special prices on dinner meals from Jan. 27 until game day; SuperBoken, where the public can take advantage of three lanes of free curling at Pier A Park in Hoboken during the same timeframe.

The Junior US Olympic Synchronized Ice Skating Team, The Synchroettes, will also be giving a special performance on Jan. 27 at Buchmuller Park Ice Skating Rink in Secaucus and meeting afterward with spectators for autograph signings, pictures, and skating lessons.

The most intensive of any of the events, however, is Football Fashion Week, which is a sports-themed version of Jersey City’s annual style showcase, and Pre-game before the Big Game Winter Blast, a block party celebration, both of which span three days.

SECAUCUS COUNCILMAN Gary Jeffas announces the town's plans for the three-day, pre-Super Bowl Sunday festival, called Winter Blast, that will be held at Buchmuller Park.REENA ROSE SIBAYAN JOURNAL PHOTO

Aside from a standard showcase of both athletic wear and other fashions from top designers and celebrities during Football Fashion Week’s opening night ceremony on Thursday and the Emerging Designers Fashion Show the following day, a shopping event at Aaraa Accessories Shop in Hoboken and a Cognac Tasting Soiree at VB3 in Jersey City, both on Jan. 25, will offer attendees a variety of unorthodox activities that still fall within the realm of sports.

The Winter Blast, taking place in the “heart of Secaucus” two miles from the stadium and beginning Jan. 30, will boast food, drink, music, giveaways, vendors, and several family-friendly games such as hockey and ice skating the weekend before the Bowl.

Bill LaRosa, Director of Cultural Affairs and Tourism for the county, who noted that the county had been working with state agencies for roughly a year to schedule and get the word out, said that while the short term economic benefits the region will reap from the throngs of journeying devotees are certainly important, organizing special events will hopefully entice them to return for more than just Super Bowl fun.

ARTIST Paul Lempa stands near a portrait of Eli Manning, one of his football pieces. His work will be on view in Bayonne.LAUREN CASSELBERRY

“We want people to come back. A long term impression on people is what we’re looking to capture,” he commented. Because most tourists who visit the area generally have a positive experience and return for a second time, he said, he has no doubt that Hudson County will be recognized as the “50-yard-line for the Super Bowl experience,” which he said every football fan knows is the best seat in the house.

More is planned in other communities as well.

Bayonne

Bayonne is planning an art exhibit at the Bayonne Community Museum featuring the football art of Paul Lempa. The kickoff is planned for Jan. 30 from 7 to 10 p.m., with music and refreshments. The art will be on sale for those who want to take home a piece of the celebration. The exhibit continues Friday during the same hours. A closing ceremony is planned for Saturday, Feb. 1, from noon to 7 p.m. Plans are still in the works and Bayonne hopes to have several former players at the events.

East Rutherford

The nearby borough hosting the Super Bowl is having a shindig of its own, urging those who don’t have access to tailgate parties near the stadium to come visit East Rutherford the town.

Meadowlands Tailgate Party 2014 is the name of this party, a “tailgate at the center of town,” says the council president, with tents, food trucks, music from The Nerds and the Bruce Springsteen tribute B StreetBand. The celebration is set to start at noon and conclude at 4:30 p.m. on game day, Feb. 2. The borough is at (201) 933-3444 and the town’s website is eastrutherfordnj.net.

Rutherford

Rutherford’s Winter Festival is from noon to 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 at the parking lot of town hall and Lincoln Park (Park and Lincoln avenues), with an ice-skating rink ($5 for skate rental), horse and carriage rides, an ice-carving demonstration, children’s amusements and craft vendors. The fire department will host a beer tent and a Bruce Springsteen tribute band called The E Street Shuffle will play from 5 to 7 p.m. There will also be music from the Kootz Band at noon, Jason Didner and The Jungle Gym Band at 2 p.m. and The Billy Sans Band, a Rat Pack tribute, at 3:30 p.m.

Borough of Rutherford “Football Fest 2014,” organized by the Rutherford Big Game Committee, includes an art project whose aim is to raise money for local charities.

Secaucus

Winter Blast is the name of Secaucus’ week of Super Bowl celebration, comprised of several events leading up to the big game.

On Jan. 25, there will be a Super Bowl Gala and Fire and Ice Fashion Show from 7 to 11 p.m. at the atrium of 500 Plaza Drive. At 6 p.m. on Jan. 27, The Synchronettes — the Junior United States Olympic Synchronized Ice Skating Team — will be at Buchmuller Park ice skating rink (1203 Paterson Plank Road). From 4 to 10 p.m. Jan. 30, 4 to 11 p.m. Jan. 31 and 11 a.m. to midnight on Feb. 1, there will be a pre-game celebration in the middle of Secaucus, with the lineup hosted at Buchmuller Park.

Also planned are hockey games, ice skating, live music, a beer garden, warming stations, as well as 30 vendors and 30 food trucks from New Jersey and New York. Admission for three-day pass is $18; more information at northjerseyevents.com. Children under 10 will receive free admission.

Weehawken

Taste of the Best Wine Extravaganza, hosted by Wine Academy Superstores, is a wine-tasting event that promises NFL alumni sightings for VIP guests. Former Jets player Joe Klecko and NFL Hall of Famer Chris Doleman are attending, and jazz bassist Bob Cranshaw will perform with his band. 6 p.m. Jan. 30 at Chart House Restaurant, 1700 Harbor Boulevard, Weehawken. Tickets $350 and VIP admission $700; 10 percent of the proceeds and all money from a silent auction will go to the Hope for Children Foundation. Call (732) 979-2252 or visit enenj.com for tickets.

More information for the events, as well as hotel accommodation and transit, can be found at visithudson.org.